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NEWARK
– Continuing its commitment to empower
senior citizens with awareness to protect
themselves against fraud, the New Jersey
Division of Consumer Affairs in May provided
Senior Fraud Education and Prevention (FedUp)
seminars to more than 1,000 seniors in Burlington,
Mercer, Monmouth and Ocean counties, through
a partnership with the Ministry for Maturing
Adults in the Roman Catholic Diocese of
Trenton.
“By
partnering with Consumer Affairs, the Diocese
of Trenton’s Ministry for Maturing
Adults has enabled more than 1,000 senior
citizens to benefit from the peace of mind
that comes from knowing how to recognize
fraud and keep from being scammed,”
Acting Director Thomas R. Calcagni said.
“Scammers and snake oil salesmen are
surprisingly creative, and unfortunately
they see honest consumers as potential marks.
We are helping seniors fight back with basic
awareness and knowledge. We’re seeking
to work with as many groups as possible
to bring this message to seniors and all
consumers across New Jersey.”
The
FedUp seminars were conducted as part of
four Education Days for Maturing Adults,
held by the Diocese of Trenton and offered
free of charge. A total of 355 seniors attended
the May 4 presentation at Parish of the
Resurrection Church in Delran; 200 attended
the May 11 presentation at The Church of
St. Gregory the Great in Hamilton Square;
340 attended the presentation at St. Luke
Roman Catholic Church in Toms River; and
165 attended the presentation at St. Robert
Bellarmine Parish in Freehold.
“The
diocese holds its Spirituality/Education
Days for Maturing Adults as a way to bring
important messages to maturing adults 55
to 105, not just for their financial well-being,
but for their emotional and spiritual lives
as well,” said Janis Bell, Coordinator
of Ministry for Maturing Adults at the Trenton
Diocese. “The Consumer Affairs presentations
were well-received and extremely helpful
to the members of our community.”
Investigator
Bill Plowman of the Division of Consumer
Affairs conducted the FedUp seminars. Topics
included:
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The so-called “Grandparent Scam,”
in which scammers use an urgent-sounding
phone call to tell the victim their grandchild
is in trouble and needs a money order
for hundreds or even thousands of dollars
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What to look for when hiring a home improvement
contractor
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Lottery scams, and others in which the
victim is told they’ve won a prize
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Identity theft
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Telemarketing scams and fraudulent charities
Groups
who wish to request a Division of Consumer
Affairs speaker or seminar, free of charge,
can call 973-504-6317 or
visit www.NJConsumerAffairs.gov/outreach/speaker.htm.
The Division offers outreach programs to
diverse groups including high school clubs
and classes, parent-teacher organizations,
senior citizens groups, religious organizations,
civic groups, and others. Topics are tailored
to meet the specific audience's needs. Current
and past topics include Credit Repair, Identity
Theft, the Senior Fraud Education and Prevention
(FEDUP) Program, Hiring a Contractor, and
Selling Precious Metals.
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